The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-05-07
tact to get along with these things and not

uu0uN any OuSs
Indeed it must" said the stranger.
And Mrs. Gilkey said in further illustra-
ton of the point: "Why, we can never
keep man more than six months, with
out one set or the other getting down on
him. He's sure to be in hot water some
where. Oh, dear why didn'tyou catch
that ?"
This last exclamation was not addressed
to the stranger but to Mr.. Gilkey. For in
the excitement OF the discussion, the lady
had loosened her hold upon the bandbox,
and sudden jolt of the cars had precip-
itated it into the aisle. With the aid of
fellow-passenger and cane, Mr.. Gilkey
fished up the precious parcel, and by the
time this feat was accomplished, the train
was moving slowly into the Brandon sta
ton.
Mr.. Ames shook hands with the stranger
at parting, and said he Yves glad to have
met him; after which ceremony the travel
ers repaired to their several destinations,
Mrs. Gilkey with vague forebodings lest
the fall should have resulted disastrously
to the contents of the bandbox; Mr.. Ames
with placid satisfaction with himself and
the world at large, and the stranger-but
as he is a stranger we can not guess with
any accuracy what his thoughts and feel
ings were.
The church was filled that Sabbath
morning, and an agreeable tutter OF ex-
pectation perveded the well-dressed con-
gregatiop. Their faces wore that wide
awake, alert expression OF persons who
expect to be entertained.
Mr.. Ames felt very tranquil in spirit, as
be leisurely assembled the church steps,
inst in time for the opening anthem. As
he leaned back in his seat and glanced
over the crowded house, ne said to him.
self that he, for one, was glad they were
going to have a steady pastor, and he Yves
going to do his best to encourage him.
He'd get introduced after service and in
vite him up to dinner tomorrow. lie
nudged his wife and confded to her this
resolve, and she said twas ''just the
thing"
He craned bis neck around to get a
sight of the new man, but the desk COM
pletely hid him from view, as he sat in the
large pulpit chair, resting his head on one
shspely hand.
With the last notes of the anthem, Mrs.
Gilkey sailed down the aisle in all the
glory of her new bonnet. while the hus-
band followed at a respectful distance be-
hind the swaying plumes and spreading
brim. Mrs Ames whispered to her hus-
band that 'twould be just like the Gilkeys
tr try to get in ahead with the minister,
that woman was $50 pushing" He muet
remember and speak to the minister right
after church.
The choir sat down with a futter and
giggle. There was brief pause. Then
the preacher advanced TO the desk and an
nounced the hymn. AS the mellow tones
of his voice foated out over their heads
the waiting congregation smiled gracious
approval. But what was it made Mr..
Ames start SO violently at the first words
of the render stare hard at the desk and
sink back into his seat with an expression
of blank dismay Mr.. Gilkey observed it
from where he sat and wondered what it
meant. One look at the minister told the
story. He was the stranger who had
shared Mr.. Ames' seat in the cars the
night before
The subsequent proceedings were
fraught with painful interest for at least
two of that audience. Mrs. Ames whis-
pered to her husband that she noticed
that Mrs. DR.. Holmes wore a new seal
skin, but he needed her not, and when
the congregation rose to sing, he kept his
seat, despite that lady's reproving look.
He stole furtive glance at Mr. Gilkey TO
to see how he bore if. That gentleman,
after some discussion with his wife, arose,
and held the book for her during the
hymn, but he hung his head and looked
crushed in spirit. Mrs. Gilkey, on the
contrary, carried her head and the new
bonnet with conscious dignity and sang
like robin.
To Mr.. Ames' excited imagination that
service was ten hours long, although the
clock only indicated an hour and half
Brandon had not heard such sermon for
many a day; but Mr.. Ames, alasl couldn't
have told a word there was in it. He
counted the pipes in the organ, the crys-
tails on the chandeliers, the panes of glass
in the windows, in his frantic attempts
to make the time pass. But every time
he returned from some abstruse numer-
ical calculation only to hear the eloquent
tones of the preacher and behold the peo-
pie hanging in rapt attention on every
word.
Mr.. Ames did not wait to be intro
duced to the minister after the service.
Far from it He fished his hat out from
under the seat with unwonted alacrity,
aud made for the door, looking neither
to the left nor right.
"That WAS a powerful sermon we've
just heard, wasn't it, Brother Ames?" be-
gan Elder Stanclift, stepping softly out
into the aisle. "Such depth and profund-
ity OF thought, such"
But Mr.. Ames stalked past him, with
averted gaze, and pretended not to hear
He jammed his hat down over his eyes,
and shot out of the door with more haste
m, hn L.,